U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0170713, which was published on Aug. 4, 2005 in the name of Okuyama, discloses an electric actuator for a marine steering system. The electric actuator includes a housing having a shaft in the form of a ball screw extending therethrough. There is a DD (direct drive)-type motor disposed within the housing and mounted about the ball screw. Rotation of the DD-type motor about the ball screw results in the DD-type motor translating axially relative to the ball screw. This in turn results in the housing reciprocating relative to the ball screw. Securing ends of the ball screw to support brackets and coupling the housing to a tiller of a propulsion unit results in steering motion being imparted to the propulsion unit as the housing reciprocates relative to the ball screw.